Is my Bipolar Disorder a Mental Illness? Or is it a Disorder?

Hi @theaveragejoe, thanks for your feedback on the website and the wording that we're using. Your perspective is clearly well researched and thought out. The discussion that's followed your original post shows how individual our reactions to terminology are.

For me, with a view no doubt biased by being a Psychologist, I don't see the term 'illness' as being less hopeful or with more of a tendency to promote stigma than 'disorder'. Illnesses are treatable, for the most part, whether they be physical or psychological. And through a variety of means, not just medication. I've always been very careful about diagnosis as it's truly a double-edged sword. Empowering for some but limiting for others. And I take the same cautious stance about medication. If there's another way to achieve and maintain recovery, that's worth exploring first.

Just to clarify where things stand from SANE's point of view, the new website was developed without any funding or input from pharmaceutical companies. The process of choosing the layout, wording and images included quite an extensive consultation process with people with lived experience. Which of course doesn't actually result in a product that reflects all experiences and views! But it is the result of the organisations genuine effort to find something reflective of our service users rather than our own agenda.

None of SANE programs are currently funded by pharmaceutical companies and we don't work within a medical model by any means. Here in the Help Centre we are mental health professionals with a range of views on mental health, diagnosis and treatment. None of those views are sponsored They reflect our individual training, philopsophy and experience and that diversity gives us strength.

This is a very useful discussion to have, and a very thought-provoking one, so I hope there are some more responses to get a guage on how people view the terminology that tends to be used.

I have been following this discussion and couldn't have said better what I was thinking than the first paragraph of @BeeGee's last post.

Hi Suzanne,

thank you for your kind reply and for taking the time to explain to me what you have explained, particularly with regard to the fact that SANE does not take funds from pharmaceutical corporations. This makes me feel really good. I have read somewhere that SANE was taking money from pharmaceutical corporation, something like $129.300 back in 2009 (2010 Dozed up on Donations and Addicted to Drug Company Money, Daily Telegraph, 23 of February 2010) in the past, but I am glad that things have changed now. Thank you for letting me know, Suzanne.

I am not here saying that I am right in wanting to change the word Mental Illness to Mental Disorders and SANE is entitled to do as it feels is best for the site. But for the many people who have endured trauma, and there are a great number of people that have developed a mental disorders due to trauma, how can we talk of mental illness? Is trauma a mental illness?

How can Trauma, or PTSD, defined as a deeply distressing or disturbing experience, be an illness? That is my question.

I think that we are so used to using Mental Illness that we have forgot that the word illness is not really a positive word. It is a state of being sick and it must work at some sort of psychological level. If I say to a friend: Gee you look sick! That friend will not feel that good as I greet him at the door.

I feel the same with SANE, I like this website very much and I like the people. But to read Mental Illness is real when I visit it, it tends to do something to my subconscious, I feel. I am not sick or at least I don't feel sick so why should I be greeted with the word "Illness"

In any case I could be wrong. It is an interesting discussion and I don't think there are any rights or wrongs.

I feel not comfortable when I read Mental Illness is Real. I don't agree with it because my Bipolar derives from PTSD and because it has a clear cause that started when I was a child, not when I was born (I was born a healthy baby). I feel that illness is not right. But also an illness always makes me think of a virus for some reason. Perhaps illness should be confined to sickness that involves viruses and all the reast should be classified as disorder or malfunction of the body whether temporary or permanent.

Just my opinion...

Thank you again SUzanne and sorry for being so problematic. I like to explore things, always been this way.

Hi @eth

it is good that you agree with BeeGee I respect other people's opinions. If you are happy with the term illness and you find that it is not a problem, like BeeGee, then I can only respect your views. But I have every right to not want people to tell me that I have a Mental Illness. It is OK if I say it but I don't like when other people tell me that I have a Mental Illness. I find it offensive and unpolite.

How is it that I am ill? Do I show a real illness? I think that my reasoning is pretty healthy?

But I suspect that by now BeeGee, who is a very smart person understands my position on PTSD and why trauma is not an illness.

Thank you for your feedback

Hey @theaveragejoe, just a quick thought. You don't need to access the Forums via Sane. Not if the site is triggering for you. We've partnered with a number of organisations, such as Mind, who have the forums on their website. You can enter via www.mindaustralia.org.au.

It's not solving the bigger picture by any means but it might make using the Forums easier 🙂

Hi @theaveragejoe I am not disagreeing with you per se. I am saying that what ever words work for each person are ok for that person.

Me having bipolar1 also manifest most profoundly (with full-on psychosis and extreme mania) and was finally diagnosed after traumatic events in 2009 but looking back I had it long before that. However the first traumatic event was very early on and I was only treated for depression for 25 years (another long story). Who can say if the bipolar would have surfaced anyway if these events had never happened? I no longer need to define that and you may notice that I use neither the words illness or disorder to describe my challenges.

I also don't ever say "I am bipolar". It's something I have and I live with it and use medications, yes, but have worked consistently to better self monitor and manage better. Going on medication by no means made me sit back and not challenge myself to do better.

Hi there @eth,

I know what the problem is, my wife and I have disclosed our mental disorder, or bipolar, to the whole world and in this position we may be different from many sufferers. Once you disclose, if you accept the term mental illness then everyone has the right to call you mentally ill and there is nothing you can say about it because you have accepted the word illness in the first place. That is my case.

Thank you @Former-Member,

and please do forgive me for being insistent on this issue. If it is upsetting to anyone I will stop without any problems. I am passionate about things and I thank you for being so patient with me, many websites would have probably stopped me by now 🙂 but SANE has not done this which makes me respect you and the site all the more. I think it is a very wonderful and unique website, very tolerant and considerate.

I do not have a problem with accessing this site through SANE, I am just making a point and keeping the discussion going. I am very resilient and understanding. I am aware the the term illness is here used in a positive way not meaning any harm but good. It simply attempts to say that the disorder is real even if it cannot be seen like any other physical disability.

However, as I have written, I am different in that I have disclosed my mental illness, and I disclose it because I consider myself an advocate for those with mental disorders.

In this position of having disclosed my Bipolar Disorder, I go round some universities, and other places, speaking about mental disorders whenever possible. So far I have given three seminars in Universities and countless others in other places.

If I accept the term Mental Illness, then I have to accept peoples' right to call me Mentally Ill person, even those who are normal could do this, and I am not sure if this is a good thing for me.

Because Mental Disorders have such a great STIGMA attached to them, using the term Illness, in the context of a Mental Disorders, may attract more stigma.

Imagine me getting up to give a talk as in a seminar. They could introduce me as such:

"Here is the Averagejoe speaking about his Bipolar Illness. He suffers with Bipolar Illness and as such is a Mentally ill person."

If I accept the term Mental Illness, whomever presents me in this way has every right to do so .

You see, Suzanne, it is OK to speak of Illness for those who do not disclose their disorder. No one knows about it and when they come on websites like this one they have a pseudonym so that no one knows who they are.

But for someone like me, who has disclose my mental disorder, the last thing I want to do is have anything to do with the world "illness"; nor do I want to show the world that I am ill in any way. To the contrary, the reason why my wife and I have disclosed is precisely to show the world that we function quite well, thank you very much, and that there is nothing wrong with having Bipolar Disorder. Most people are good people and live with their disorder quietly and without upsetting anyone. Actually we really help our community in many ways so that we are examples not only for those with mental illness but for the community at large.

This is my position, and thank you again for being so patient with me. I really think that one needs to have a mental disorder and have disclosed their condition to truly understand what I am saying to understand that the word Illness, unlike other illnesses like diabetes of cancer, attracts a lot of stigma whenever the mind is involved. Moreover the mind isn't just brain it is also consciousness of which we know little or nothing at all.

Hi @Former-Member,

I read a lot and I have here numerous book and articles clearly informing about the close ties of SANE and pharmaceutical corporations. Just informing you in case that you are genuinely unaware. For example, Pfizer worked closely with sane on a few projects and in the book Social Sketches of Australia there is mention of SANE being funded by pharmaceutical corporation, one quater of SANE was funded by pharmaceutical corporations to be precise. With such a history it is difficult to think that there are no more ties today. But possible although difficult to entertain given the economic times.

This explains to me why you use the term Mental Illness so readily. Also, the other site is even worse for it talks of Bipolar as being an illness of unknown origins that runs in families. WHile some Bipolar may be an illness not all is an illness. No metions of trauma or anything like that just an illness. But I know women that have been raped and developed bipolar as a consequence of being raped. Or people that have been in terrible accidents and developed bipolar at 50 years of age. They were fine before that.

Just being honest here and sharing my ideas.

Hi @theaveragejoe, I'm happy to be transparent about funding and to address any questions. After all this information is on public record. I checked the situation today when I came across your post. Sane has received some funding from pharmaceutical companies in the past but we are not presently being funded in this manner. It's not a true reflection of the organisation to say that we have 'close ties'. My own work in the organisation, that of my team and the Forums generally are not influenced in the slightest by any past funding arrangement. I wasn't even aware of it until I asked today. So there is no pervasive medical agenda at play in the organisation as it stands today.

Psychology is a broad church and use of the term 'mental illness' doesn't indicate some kind of mindless puppetry on behalf of big pharma. As I'm sure you're aware